Conventionally, there have already been suggested systems wherein fingerprint data and a cipher key are written into a copyright medium. For example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2002-27231 discloses a system wherein biological information such as fingerprint information is directly written and stored in a management area of a recording medium such as a compact disk (CD), a digital video disk (DVD), or the like, which includes previously recorded digital contents composed of image data such as static or dynamic images, audio data such as music or voices, and composite data including image and audio data. In this system, however, there is a need for the fingerprint data or the like to be written into the copyright medium at the time of delivery of the copyright medium. Therefore, the copyright medium need be post-writable, which conflicts with existing structure specifications, thereby increasing a cost of mass production equipment disadvantageously. Furthermore, it is an object of the conventional system to prevent copying or reproduction of the contents, and therefore a purchaser is also inhibited to copy and use the contents. This causes inconveniences such that the purchaser-cannot make a backup copy in case of a product purchased being broken or that the purchaser cannot always have the, copyright medium ready for use in a plurality of places, such as in his/her house, automobile, and mobile audio-visual device. When being broken, the copyright medium purchased can be tracked down using an Smart card or other recording medium and fingerprint data, and thereby it can be reissued. It, however, requires extra cost and time disadvantageously.
Furthermore, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2002-258975 discloses an apparatus and a method, wherein a user's fingerprint image is collated with user's fingerprint data stored in an Smart card, if they match, a logon ID is read from the Smart card, and if it is coincident, the user is authorized to use a terminal concerned. In the apparatus and method for recognizing fingerprint, a user is authenticated at the time of system logon.